Funny Winter Treadmill Tips

Winter Treadmill Survival Tips

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted an early Spring, but if you've been stuck running on a treadmill all Winter, you're probably counting the days until the snow melts and you can run outdoors. Depending what part of the country you live in, there may be a solid month standing between you and an outdoor run, so you still have to play nicely with the treadmill, no matter how much you loathe its existence. Here, five semi-serious but tested-and-true ways to handle that last seasonal treadmill push. Please share your own suggestions in comments!

Load up your iPod with some Katy Perry. Look, I know, say what you will about KP, but her poppy, bubbly tracks will keep you going — trust me. Who among us hasn't danced around in front of the mirror belting out the lyrics to "Firework"? They're inspirational to boot: "Ignite the light/ and let it shine/ Just own the night/ like the Fourth of July."

Switch it up. Try your treadmill's hill program, set your speed slightly slower than usual and aim to run for a longer distance (though this requires a gym that doesn't enforce the 30-minute rule when it's not crowded), or just play with your speed throughout the run. I find that even if I take a whimsical, "I'm going to have fun with this" attitude while I'm running, I'll succeed in getting a proper workout. Instead of overthinking my run, I'm having fun!

Schedule your run during 90210, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, or another similar indulgent show. It's mindless entertainment at its finest, and I love giving off the "I'm-serious-about-my-workout" vibe while watching trash TV.

High ponytails! I may get some grief for this one, but putting my hair in a bouncy, high ponytail always keeps me going. During outdoor runs I'm more of a French braid girl because of the wind resistance, but inside it's all high ponytail, all the time.

Race the person next to you. Even if they don't know you are racing them. There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, right? I'm sometimes reluctant to pass others while running outside in fear they'll end up passing me a quarter-mile down the road, but at the gym I can bump up my speed for an extra shot of confidence and race — even if it's just in my head.

I only recently started running, and it's all been on the treadmill so far. Being in upstate New York it'll be a while before I can get outside, but I'm both nervous and excited about it. Any suggestions for making the transition?

I get myself going by challenging myself to a ridiculous speed interval workout. 10 MPH for a full two minutes is no joke, but it gives me a reason to love the treadmill- there's no way I could run that fast outside without the force of a machine!